LANSING, MI -- After years of abstract debate, the Affordable Care Act is close to becoming a reality for Michigan residents who currently lack health insurance.

The open enrollment period for an upcoming online health insurance marketplace is scheduled to begin October 1, and the coverage is expected to kick in at the start of next year.

"In the middle of the politics, the misinformation, and the barrage of everything that's gone on in the last several years, we're finally at a point where people are going to see what this means for themselves and their families," U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Lansing, said Friday. "A lot of people are going to have more peace of mind."

Stabenow joined U.S. Rep. Sander Levin, D-Royal Oak, and other officials on a conference call organized by Families USA, a nonprofit working to promote the new health care law.

The group released a fact sheet on Friday estimating that as many as 746,000 Michigan residents will qualify for premium tax credits to purchase insurance through the online marketplace. Additionally, hundreds of thousands of residents may qualify for expanded Medicaid eligibility in April.

Beginning next year, the Affordable Care Act will require most residents to have health insurance or face a tax penalty.

The federal government will run Michigan's insurance marketplace, and fourteen private insurers have submitted applications to participate. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has not yet released premium prices for Michigan.

But Ron Pollock, director of Families USA, said that premium rates already released by other states suggest that most Michigan residents could be in line for significant savings. He directed residents to visit healthcare.gov to learn more.

Insurance subsidies will be available to residents who earn between 100 percent and 400 percent of the federal poverty level.

"It was established in such a way so that people who need the most help will receive the most help," Pollock said. "The lower your income, the larger your subsidies."

Also on January 1st, an additional provision will kick in prohibiting insurance companies from denying coverage for adults with pre-existing conditions.

Families USA is working to promote what they consider positive aspects of the upcoming law, trying to steer the conversation away from the political debate which has been decidedly negative.

Here in Michigan, the Republican-led Senate agreed to expand Medicaid eligibility under the Affordable Care Act but voted down immediate effect, meaning the coverage can't kick in until late March or April despite the availability of federal funding beginning on January 1.

The Legislature previously declined to appropriate federal funding that would have allowed Michigan to create its own online health insurance marketplace or partner with Washington.

Republican Gov. Rick Snyder, who successfully pushed for the Medicaid expansion and had also supported state involvement in the insurance exchange, said Tuesday that Michigan will not fund its own outreach efforts to help residents understand the new law but will facilitate communication with the federal government.

"That wasn't part of our budget," he told reporters. "We don't have the resources to do that, so we're just going to try to be helpful in this process."

The governor also said he remains skeptical that the federal government will complete the work on the marketplace by October 1.

While the state will not actively promote the upcoming insurance marketplace or help people sign up for coverage, various groups in Michigan have received federal funding to do so. The Michigan Consumers for Healthcare coalition and three other Michigan groups recently received a combined $2.5 million in grants. Earlier this year, the Obama administration awarded a total of $3.8 million in grant money to 31 Michigan health centers.

"In addition to the minimal amount of funds we have to work with, our other big challenge is that polls show 83 percent of those who might benefit -- especially those who are Medicaid eligible -- aren't even aware of that fact," said Dizzy Warren, community outreach director of Michigan Consumers for Healthcare.

The federal government is also expected to promote the upcoming exchange with television or radio ads in Michigan. Another nonprofit group working closely with the Obama administration, Enroll America, is working in Michigan and already launched ads in other states.

U.S. Rep. John Dingell, D-Dearborn, is expected to join Enroll America this weekend as they launch a door-to-door education campaign in Metro Detroit.

However, groups opposed to the Affordable Care Act are expected to spend here is well as they attempt to inform residents about potential shortcomings of the law.

Late last month, while Michigan lawmakers debated expanding Medicaid under the law, AFP announced a six-figure radio ad buy in Michigan and three other states. The ads, part of the group's "Risk Factors" campaign, highlighted concerns with the law voiced by prominent union leaders, including Teamsters President James P. Hoffa.

Levin said he is concerned that anti-Obamacare groups may actually end up spending more on what he called "misinformation" campaigns than those working to promote benefits of the law. But he is optimistic that outreach efforts will succeed.

"I just think that most people in our country, whatever there particular views are, realize it's the law," Levin said. "I think there's a feeling in our state that it's better if we all pull together. I hope that those who wish to obstruct will find that the spirit of Michigan will say, 'Let's try to make this work.'"

Jonathan Oosting is a Capitol reporter for MLive Media Group. Email him, find him on Google+ or follow him on Twitter.